Now Serving in Williamsburg: A Bar Hidden in a Deli

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Inside the speakeasy Mezcaleria La Milagrosa in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.CreditAn Rong Xu for The New York Times

By Joshua David Stein

March 15, 2017

In early February, a Mexican grocery store opened in a former laundromat, stocked with bins of onions, and shelves of salsas and mole. But word quickly got out about the agave bar in the back, hidden behind a freezer door guarded by a clipboard-wielding bouncer.

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The storefront behind which the bar can be found.CreditAn Rong Xu for The New York Times

Mezcaleria La Milagrosa might sound like a punch line in Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None,” but the allure of the speakeasy remains. Furnished with a disco ball, smoke machine, ambitious sound system and strong margaritas, it has all the fiesta of Señor Frogs in a fraction of the space.

THE PLACE

La Milagrosa is in a stretch of South Williamsburg largely immune from condos and third-wave coffee shops. Felipe Mendez, the owner of La Superior and the adjoining restaurant Cerveceria Havemeyer, built the space by hand, installing enough rough wood planks that it looks like the inside of a barrel. The space is sparse, with a long tiled bar and a small dance floor.

THE CROWD

On a recent Friday night, all the boys wore knit caps and the girls swooned in chunky sweaters. A young Norwegian documentarian chatted up a tall Dutch massage therapist, the salted rims of their margaritas inching ever closer. A man in plaid with stubble followed a woman with a topknot and a chambray shirt into the bathroom.

THE PLAYLIST

Mr. Mendez is a musician, an avid record collector and a D.J. His friends, including Michael Simonetti and Justin Van Der Volgen, frequently spin in unannounced shows. But when no D.J. is present, the music tends toward Barry White, Hot Chocolate and Teddy Pendergrass.

GETTING IN

This bar requires reservations. There are two phone numbers: One is public and first come first served; the other, which guarantees entrance, is a closely guarded secret. “It’s my cellphone,” said Emir Dupeyron, a manager.

DRINKS

When they are not downing shots and dancing, the bartenders pour five types of margaritas: regular, mezcal, Jamaica, guava and tamarind. (Prices vary depending on the mezcal but remain under $7.)